The Minister of Culture, Caterina Mieras; the Director of the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL), Xavier Folch and the Presidents of the Gremi d'Editors de Catalunya and the Associació d'Editors en Llengua Catalana, Josep Maria Puig de la Bellacasa and Manuel Sanglas respectively, announced this morning that Catalan Culture will be the guest of honor at the largest and most important book fair in the world: the Frankfort International Book Fair of 2007. The Minister of Culture received the official confirmation today in writing from the Director of the Fair.

The Minister of Culture, the Director of the Llull (IRL), and the book editors jointly all agreed that the Guadalajara International Book Fair's success "played a significant part in being chosen to participate in what will be the most important opportunity Catalan the world of publishing and literature has ever had."

Mieras stated that by being chosen as guests of honor, Catalan culture is "now reaping the benefits of all the Editor's Guild hard work; the professionalism of Catalan editors, which has been an international enterprise for some time, Catalan language and literature's prestige/renown and the trust that the Institut Ramon Llull and the Catalan Government have placed in the organizing committee."

Manuscripts have been bought and sold at the Frankfurt Book Fair since its inception during the middle ages. Frankfurt Book Fair is considered to be the most noteworthy in the world. It is the highlight of publishing world's commercial year and for this reason, the Minister plans on "providing extra support to editors, translators, literary agents, authors and book sellers."

Cultural Program

In addition, Caterina Mieras announced that "we also want use the Frankfurt Fair as a platform to share the diversity of Catalan culture with the world." She said that, with this objective in mind, they will "organize the most ambitious calendar of events promoting Catalan culture ever to be devised in the history of Catalonia. The events will take place in Germany throughout 2007, in order to promote Catalan culture throughout Europe."

The Minister let it be known that the Institut Ramon Llull is already developing a project proposal in conjunction with the Gremi d'Editors. The general overview of this plan will be revealed shortly after Sant Jordi Day, or The Catalan Day of the Book.

Celebrating the Invitation

In order to celebrate Catalan Culture being chosen as Frankfurt Book Fair 2007's guest of honor, the Minister, the Director of the IRL and the editors have organized a cocktail that will take place on Friday, March 4th at one o'clock in the afternoon at the Drassanes Building in Barcelona, where Catalan Book Fair is currently taking place. The celebration, open to the media, will be attended by editors, translators, literary agents, authors and booksellers.